Journalist threatens to petition ICC over parliamentary scandal

A freelance Journalist, Listowel Nana Poku says he will petition the International Criminal Court, should the Ad hoc committee probing the bribery scandal in Ghana’s parliament perverse judgment in the case.

“I will not let this matter go to sleep, If CHRAJ will not investigate this scandal, I will make sure I’ll take it even to the ICC, because parliament of Ghana cannot be corrupt,” he said on Kasapa FM.

A petition forwarded by Listowel to the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ) to probe the Appointments Committee of parliament following the allegation of bribery against some members of the committee was turned down.

The petitioner, Nana Kusi-Poku Listowel, had asked CHRAJ to investigate the allegation since parliament cannot probe itself.

But CHRAJ said it will hold its investigation in abeyance awaiting the outcome of parliament’s committee investigating the matter.

Commenting on the matter on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, after concerns were raised on the undue delays of the report on the committee’s investigation, Listowel said “I will not be surprised that at the end of the day they’ll come to tell us lies.”

He said parliament had already taken stance on the matter when the issue broke, hence questioned the propriety of allowing the same institution to probe the matter.

According to him, the work that the committee has done so far is flawed in many respect, which consequently may result in a distorted report on the disturbing scandal.

The Joe Ghartey-led committee was just about to wrap up its work bordering on the allegation which cited a current Minister in a bribery attempt, but a plea by one of the key witnesses to tender additional evidence on the matter to the Joe Ghartey Committee probing the scandal in Ghana’s legislature, has further delayed the final report on the issue.